Results 13,241-13,260 of 25,880 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 368 and 369 together. As provided for in the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Act 2019, the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority (AHBRA) was formally established on 1 February 2021. The Act is being commenced on a phased basis to allow for the establishment of the office. Key provisions, including those relating to the drafting...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) are not-for-profit organisations whose purpose is the provision and management of housing for people with a housing need. As not-for-profit bodies, AHBs are limited in their ability to sell any property on the open market at a value which is less than the market value of the property. While subsequent to the completion of the terms and agreement of any state...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Correspondence (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has been in communication with Mayo County Council on a proposal they have made in respect of the person referenced by the Deputy. The Council has made two social housing development proposals that are in close proximity to each order and accordingly, they have been asked to consider the appropriate use of public funding and resources by combining both developments. 

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme came into operation on 1 January 2016.  The Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme. To be eligible, tenants must meet certain criteria, including having a minimum reckonable income of €15,000 per annum and having been in receipt of social housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides funding to local authorities under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The detailed administration of the grants including their assessment, approval and prioritisation, is the responsibility of the local authorities....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government is committed to supporting older people to live in their own homes and communities with dignity and independence for as long as possible, as this leads to the best outcomes both for the individual and for society as a whole. The Programme for Government - Our Shared Future commits to ensuring that, where new developments are being provided, there is an...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Measures (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: It is my intention to bring forward a piece of legislation provisionally titled the Fire, Emergency Management and Public Safety Bill, whose primary purpose will be to update the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003. Part of the impetus for this work arises from the review of fire safety in Ireland carried out in the the aftermath of the Grenfell tragedy in the UK. It is also my intention...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Government Communications (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 384 and 385 together. My Department has no report of a ‘hack’ of my phone. I have used my personal phone for official business and I have not experienced a "hack" on my personal phone, to my knowledge, during my term in office.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended, set down a standard procedure for assessing applicants for social housing support.  Under this procedure, a household may apply for support to one housing authority only, which may be the authority for the area in which the household normally resides or with which...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Freedom of Information (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The number of Freedom of Information requests responded to by my Department each year since 2016 is set out in the table below. Year  Number of requests responded to  2016 281 2017 286 2018 371 2019 246 2020 254 2021 (as at 3 Sept) ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Bodies (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The National Coastal Change Management Strategy Steering Group is jointly chaired by my Department and the Office of Public Works (OPW). The Group is comprised of senior officials from the Department of Communications, Climate Action and the Environment, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Investigations (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 389 and 390 together. I refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 795 of 21 April 2021. I also refer the Deputy to the replies given to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 196, 197, 198 and 199 of 27 May 2015 by the then Minister.   The file in question was not removed from the Minister's office without authorisation but was inadvertently...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commissions of Investigation (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: There are no Commissions of Investigations currently taking place in my Department nor have there been any completed in the last 10 years. The Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments was established in March 1997 and completed in November 2012, with a number of third party claims remaining to be processed.  The cost of the Tribunal was €47,971,722...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authorities for which he or she is responsible. My Department oversees workforce planning for the local government sector, including the monitoring of local government sector employment levels. To...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The remedial options provided for under the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme constitute a material alteration to an existing building. It is provided in order to remediate the issue of the defective blocks and return the building to a condition it would have been in if it hadn’t been affected by the use of Mica or Pyrite in the blockwork. In relation to remedial option...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Affordable Housing Bill 2021, the first ever standalone affordable housing legislation, was signed into law by the President on 21 July 2021. On 2 September 2021 I signed the Affordable Housing Act 2021 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2021, which commenced Part 2 (other than subsections (2)(c), (6), and (7) of section 6) and Parts 4, 6, 7, and 8 of the Act from 3...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Ministerial Appointments (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The person (details supplied) has not held any roles, formal or informal, in my Department during the lifetime of this Government. My Department does not maintain the requested information in respect of the State bodies under its aegis. These State bodies may be contacted directly by e-mail by members of the Oireachtas, as set out in the attached table. State Body ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2021 regulate the landlord-tenant relationship in the private rented sector and set out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. Section 34 of the Acts provides that a landlord must state a reason for the termination in any tenancy termination notice served. The Table to section 34 sets outs the following valid grounds for the termination of a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Communications (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has no records of requests for the named applications to be installed for business purposes by officials or my Advisors on departmental phones. I do not use the named applications for business purposes either.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department's role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level.  Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services rests with individual housing authorities. My Department publishes a detailed monthly report on...